An unvaccinated Santa Cruz County man died due to COVID-19 complications last week, the county’s 212th COVID-related death to date, local health officials said Tuesday.
The man, whose identity was not released, was in his mid 30s and had underlying health issues, according to the county. He died Sept. 14.
Four COVID-related deaths have been confirmed in the county since the arrival of the ultra-contagious delta variant and all four people were unvaccinated, according to county health officials.
Prior to August, the county had not confirmed a coronavirus-related death since May. Since the pandemic began, the county has confirmed 19,103 cases of the virus locally, as of Monday.
County officials urged residents to get vaccinated against the virus to reduce the chance of contracting the virus and developing serious illness or dying.
County residents can find information about getting vaccinated at http://www.santacruzhealth.org/coronavirus or by calling (831) 454-4242 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.